Literary+Non+Fiction

UNIT OVERVIEW
toc ESSENTIAL QUESTION: //**How does a writer reveal his/her message?**//

This unit 1) Students are exposed to memoirs and look for common techniques, such as the emphasis on a particularly significant event or time period in the author's life. 2) Works of art that address similar goals, such as self-portraits, are also examined to compare presentation.
 * I. allows students to recognize and appreciate the effective use of literary devices in nonfiction narratives**

1) Initially approaching and surveying a text 2) Using questions to examine the text’s topic, information, and structure 3) Questioning further to investigate the text 4) Analyzing key details and language to deepen understanding 5) Explaining what one has come to understand as a reader
 * II. focuses on developing the skills and habits of a close reader:**

Academic Vocabulary
text-specific summary annotate diction cite supporting detail develop paraphrase structure characterization perspective imagery claim tone guiding questions close reading analyze memoir autobiography

Common Core Standards
central ideas and supporting details, and assess author’s point of view – while attending to and citing specific textual evidence. explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
 * RI.1, RI.2, and RI.6**: read closely to determine literal and inferential meaning, determine
 * RI.4**: interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text
 * RI.9-10.1**: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
 * RI.9**: analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics
 * RI.9-10.2**: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text,
 * RL.9-10.4**: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of several word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
 * RI.9-10.3**: Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
 * RI.10**: read and comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently
 * L.9-10.1**: Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
 * W.2**: write explanatory texts to convey ideas and information clearly and accurately
 * W.9**: draw evidence from texts to support analysis
 * W.4**: produce clear and coherent writing

Suggested Student Objectives

 * Initially approaching and surveying a text
 * Using questions to examine the text’s topic, information, and structure
 * Questioning further to investigate the text
 * Analyzing key details and language to deepen understanding
 * Explaining what one has come to understand as a reader
 * Students learn to use questions to guide their approach to reading, and deeper analysis of texts
 * Students read and analyze informational texts
 * Identify and explain the characteristics of a memoir
 * Distinguish between an autobiography and a memoir
 * Identify and explain the effect of stylistic devices used in memoirs

Primary Readings
 * Memoirs, Autobiographies, first-person novels and/or Biographies for Independent Reading

Suggested Additional Readings

 * Short Memoirs
 * Essays
 * Novels
 * Art

Resource Links
//Found on Engageny.org//      //These resources are referenced throughout the activities section of this unit. //

EngageNY ReadWriteThink Fun Lesson Plans Lesson Planet Web English Teacher Sparknotes Shmoop Google Images Bing Images

Activities
Double-entry journals Literature Circles Blog Discussions Creating self-portraits Creating "word paintings" Narrative Writing (Memoir) Informative/Explanatory Writing Comparative Analysis Writing Literary Analysis Essay
 * Independent Reading:**
 * Art:**
 * Memoirs:**
 * Essays:**

Assessments
__Unit Post-Assessment:__

1) Using one text, Students write a multi-paragraph explanation, using textual evidence that explains:
 * A central idea of the text and how it is developed across it
 * What the central idea demonstrates about the author’s perspective on the topic
 * What they have come to understand about the topic from the text.

2) Write an informative/explanatory essay in which you discuss how two literary texts studied this year illustrate Faulkner's thesis in his 1949 Nobel Prize acceptance speech. State your thesis clearly and include at least three pieces of evidence to support it.